Mimetite

Tsumeb mine, that bastion of world-class minerals has, over its one hundred years of production, produced the most amazing Mimetite crystals, a species which every Tsumeb collector will own, but likely not of this world-class standard. A cluster of highly reflective and glassy hexagonal Mimetite crystals sit on a tiny micro-conglomerate matrix of Dolomite-cemented brecciated rock fragments, with a crystalised area of approximately 5 x 3 cm. The individual crystals are each 1 cm square in cross section with the longest measuring 2.5 cm and the remaining larger crystals all to 2 cm. All prisms have a straw to lemon-yellow outer surface layer which envelops a deep lemon grading to rich apricot-orange core. Towards their terminations the crystals become pure delicate-lemon and terminate in six-sided faces capped with a small pinacoid. All crystals are translucent and some contain apricot-coloured granular inclusions. This is a Mimetite of extremely large crystal size and superb habit from the world-famous mine at Tsumeb, Namibia.